let's just run away (and pretend they don't exist)
by Empress Empoleon
Summary: "In life, you should hang onto the valuable things and throw away the rest." / In which Albus and Scorpius have a relationship behind Rose's back, and pay the price for it.


It was in the usual spot, down by the lake. The moon was full, the trees were bare, and the dead leaves crinkled under his feet as he walked toward me.

"Scorpius," I said, waiting for him.

"Albus," he said, and nothing more. The world seemed to stand still for a moment.

I huffed, the cold December air puffing out of me. "Let's get it on then, shall we? I didn't come out here for nothing, you know."

"Eager, aren't we?" I barely had time to register his smirk before his lips were on mine and his touch was warming me.

It ended in the same way as it always did - him leaving me breathless, panting with puffy, bruised lips as he walked away, content.

I walked away too.

* * *

"Scorpius is always disappearing," Rose complained. "Last night he was walking me back to the tower, but he said he forgot something, and never came back."

I shook my head at her in pity. "He loves you Rose. Really." The lie slipped off my tongue like butter. I was the reason Scorpius left; I was what he forgot.

Rose sighed, smiling. "Yeah, I know."

"Albus is right." Scorpius emerged from behind the library bookshelf, wrapping his arms around Rose. "I really do love you."

Rose giggled. "I love you too!"

Scorpius met my eye in a quick glance. I held his gaze for a second longer than I should have.

Putting my head down, I walked away, just as I always did.

* * *

It had begun only two months ago, in October. Scorpius and Rose were still going strong, and everyone thought that they were a match made in heaven.

I didn't though. I pretended to love them, support them, but on the inside, I was a wreck.

Because I loved Scorpius and he didn't see me.

At first, it had been a quiet longing, that I had put down because I thought it was just my hormones acting up and because I knew it was wrong for a Potter to love a Malfoy, even more so if they were both boys.

When Rose and Scorpius got together, instead of being happy, I was shocked. I never thought that could happen...and if a Weasley and a Malfoy were a couple, why not a Potter and a Malfoy?

The gender barrier was soon broken down as well, because I had just too many feelings to hold inside and he had too many yearnings within.

It was one afternoon outside in October, when he was waiting outside for Rose and I was hiding behind a tree, silently watching him as I always did.

I never expected him to come up behind me, lay a hand on my shoulder, and ask suavely, "What's this, Potter?"

But I was a Slytherin, and therefore a liar, so I spat back, "None of your business, Malfoy."

He stepped closer to me and tapped a cold finger on my red cheek. "I know what you want. I can give it to you, but at a price."

He was gone as soon as he came, and it wouldn't be the last time I was left panting, my breath taken away by a sneaky blonde snake.

If a boy could take me by storm like that, I really doubted I stood a chance against Scorpius.

* * *

It was merely a sort-of-friends-with-benefits kind of relationship - he gave me the love I wanted, I fulfilled the desires that Rose didn't.

It wasn't what I had imagined, but it was what I had wanted so I never stopped it. Even though I felt horrible every time Rose whined about Scorpius ditching her to meet up with me, I dealt with it because I knew I would be nothing without his special touch.

So we two cunning Slytherins continued to deceive innocent Rose, catching glimpses of each other in the hallways and stealing kisses in the moonlight.

* * *

It was another meeting, in the snow of January, when we were caught.

"This is where you've been going?" Rose stepped out from behind a tree, and Scorpius broke away from me, cursing under his breath.

"This isn't what it looks like," I began, trying to come up with a lie even though she had just seen the entire truth unfolded before her eyes.

"Albus," Scorpius said, pushing me behind him. "No. This is my problem."

It was a nasty breakup, full of hurtful comments and unrepeatable things, but in the end, Rose just took one long, hateful look at the two of us before storming back to the castle.

"It'll be all over the school tomorrow," I said when she was gone. "What are you going to do?"

Scorpius stared at me with his wide blue eyes, and replied,

"What am _I _going to do? I think you meant _we_."

And the falling snow swirled around us endlessly as I reached up and kissed him.

It was tender and warm and lovely and I knew that we were us.

* * *

"We can't go back," I said again, resting my head on his shoulder as we looked out on the Black Lake. "We're both ruined."

Scorpius ran his hand through my hair and sighed. "We can run away."

I laughed dryly. "Are you mad?"

Scorpius took my chin and touched our foreheads. "I'm with Albus Potter, of all people. Of course I'm mad." He gave me a chaste kiss, leaving me wanting more.

"We can run away, up into the mountains. We'll leave everyone behind."

"I don't think I can do that," I admitted, biting my lip. How could I leave my family, my friends, everyone I've known for my entire life?

"You have me. What more do you need?" he asked. His eyes pleaded with me, and I felt my defenses crumbling.

"But what about all the others?" I asked, hoping to make him see reason.

"We'll pretend they don't exist. In life, you should hang onto the valuable things and throw away the rest."

I thought for a moment, deciding to put our future in front of my conscience. Running away was what cowards would do, but then again, we weren't Gryffindors, were we?

"Okay."

After all, we were just two slippery, seventh year Slytherins with nothing to lose in the world.

* * *

A/N: My first slash attempt. Tell me what you think!

_Done for:_

_Title Swap II Competition_

_Garbage Competition_

_Pairing Diversity Boot Camp - Prompt #8: Besmirched._

_Fantastic Beasts Challenge - Occamy_

_Hogwarts Classes Competition - Potions_


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